10 Insights Into Guidance, As Opposed To Governance

There is a difference between guidance and governance. Most organisations do governance. Very few do guidance.

Governance is about rules, compliance, enforcement. It answers the question: what are people allowed to do?

Guidance is about direction, wisdom, development. It answers the question: what should people do, and why?

Governance produces compliance. Guidance produces conviction. And conviction produces better outcomes than compliance almost every time.

Here are 10 insights I’ve gathered on what guidance looks like in practice:

1. Guidance starts with clarity of purpose – people need to know where they’re going before they can make good decisions about how to get there.
2. Guidance trusts people to make decisions within a clear framework, rather than controlling every decision.
3. Guidance explains the why, not just the what.
4. Guidance develops judgment, not just compliance.
5. Guidance is ongoing, not annual.
6. Guidance happens in relationship, not in documents.
7. Guidance celebrates good decisions, not just good outcomes.
8. Guidance is honest about failure and learns from it.
9. Guidance is modelled by leaders, not just communicated by them.
10. Guidance creates the conditions for people to guide themselves.